Someone recently asked, “When do you know that you can call yourself a writer?” The basis of this question was whether or not the title of “writer” only applies to those who get paid. Good question and one that I wrestled with for many years.
I have been writing since high school. Back then it was mostly poetry but I was always commended on my work. A teacher one time told me that I was going to make something of myself with my writing and she wouldn’t be surprised to see my name in print.
That was over two decades ago (I actually did self-publish a book, so technically my name did end up in print) and in the past 20 years I have probably spent more time writing than not. Sure, I had my seasons where the writing stopped (such as when my children were really small) but then I would always pick it back up again.
However I was never paid for what I wrote. Well, I did write a homeschool curriculum several years ago that some local homeschoolers did purchase, but I guess I never really counted that.
My point is that I wrote for the pleasure of it, not for money and so if you were to ask me back then if I was a writer I would have probably said, “Well, I like to write.” But I wouldn’t have given myself the title of “writer.”
When I got my first writing gig, which I literally made pennies on, I started to feel more like a writer. Sure, I was only making a few cents but it was something. By the time I began the work I do now, writing web content for law firms and blogging, I felt like I could finally declare that I was a real writer.
While that has always been my school of thought, I now think differently. If you write, you are a writer (whether or not you get paid). If you paint, you are a painter. If you help out at the homeless shelter, you are a homeless shelter worker.
Sure, it’s nice to get paid doing what you love. But it doesn’t make your title anymore official. I love that I was able to turn my passion into my career. But if you are a struggling writer, don’t give up. Keep pressing on and most importantly, don’t be ashamed to call yourself a writer.
Related Articles:
Home Business Spotlight: Copywriting
Home Business Spotlight: Technical Writer
Home Business Spotlight: Web Content Writer
Home Business Spotlight: Blogger
Photo by christgr in stock.xchng